Gian DeCaro:
What's with the suits?
By Candace Dempsey
From Horizon Magazine

"A guy knows he's arrived when his boss hands him a business card and says, 'This is my tailor. Go see him.' There's a bit of snob appeal in that," says Gian DeCaro, a custom tailor who can spot ready-to-wear suits even on television. "I look for the machine-made buttonholes on the lapel. That's a dead giveaway."

Since Seattle made the mountaineering look famous, it seems an unlikely place for such a man to set up shop. Who buys DeCaro's basic Italian suit: wide soft shoulders, a bit of drapery at the chest, generous lapels, fullish trousers? Who snaps up his accessories: sport coats, bathrobes, dress shirts, top coats -- everything but shoes?

Self-made men for the most part, well-heeled men between the ages of 40 and 60. NBA players, writers, actors, artists, agents, fishermen, farmers.

"Seattleites have a lot more taste than most people give them credit for," says DeCaro, who has one customer who spends $30,000 a year on clothes. "And they tend to be well-built. I think that's because they're so outdoorsy."

From his downtown shop, Gian DeCaro Sartoria, he has a street-level view of the local gentry and he thinks the picture is improving. "I'd prefer not to see that sea of navy blue blazers and gray slacks on middle-executives and sales associates. It's a great look, but badly overdone. But things are changing. Men here aren't afraid of color anymore. We're selling a lot of olive suits, a lot of stripes, a lot of double-breasteds."

DeCaro learned his trade literally at his father's knee in Eastern Washington. One important lesson was not to patronize or stereotype the customers who came into the family shop. "My father used to say, 'You take the guy in the suit. I'll take the guy in the overalls. He's gonna spend more money.' Farmers are incredible buyers of custom clothing. They have the best taste in the world. But where do they wear the stuff? That's what I want to know."

In Seattle, on the other hand, at least 10 social occasions a year require a tuxedo: symphony openings, ballet fund-raisers and the like. DeCaro believes that a custom tuxedo should hang in any businessman's closet. In addition, he recommends the basic wardrobe include a navy blazer, gray slacks, khaki slacks, dress shirts, charcoal gray suit (plaid, solid or striped) and matching ties. Even at Sartoria, where suits start at $1,595, the basic wardrobe can be assembled for about $2,000 to $5,000, depending on the fabrics.

For newcomers to custom tailoring, DeCaro is happy to offer advice. "We build wardrobes, not just suits," he says. "A lot of men are not comfortable with stripes. They think it's hard to match stripes and patterns. It's easy." Others are afraid double-breasted suits are too extreme. "I tell them 'Look at Prince Charles. He always wears double-breasteds.' We've got it reversed in this country."

DeCaro thinks continental clothing will become increasingly popular in Seattle, even in businesses where the rumpled look is practically a badge of honor. "There were a lot of occupations in Seattle where you'd go to work in blue jeans and T-shirts. Computers especially. But now those guys are starting to come in."

Microsoft's Bill Gates, the local billionaire known for his sweatshirts and faded jeans, may still be a holdout, but DeCaro's not discouraged.

"If he came in here I'd start him out in a midnight blue suit. It's the ultimate power suit. Then, a crisp white dress shirt, an elegant tie and highly polished black shoes. He'd be ready for anything."

Note: Since this story was printed, Bill Gates has become a DeCaro client.